Tetiana Pukhnavtseva

is a graphic artist who uses various printmaking and graphic design techniques. In her work she explores themes of fragility, weakness and loneliness.

Tetiana Pukhnavtseva (born 1993, Kharkiv, Ukraine) graduated from Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts in 2019. At the Academy she specialised in book illustration, while also developing a talent for graphic design. She works with monochromatic colours and enjoys experimenting with print graphic techniques. She gathers inspiration from archaic art, modernism, japanese art and haiku poetry. Since 2018 Tetiana has been working with children in a private art studio in Kharkiv. Working to provide children with free drawing has greatly influenced her art practice. During the war Tetiana has continued to deliver art lessons to children virtually.

Works

“About human”

Mezzotint, 2017

In this piece the flower represents a persistent and caring person, one who will not leave others and therefore will never be alone.

“Black, Petals and Cross (war diary)”

Ink, silver leaf, embroidery, 2022

This series was created during the first four months of the war. The drawing process acts as a continuous process of writing out one image, tracking the process of change in a time of crisis. In the first part of the series, Black (black trees), the trees are rough and naked representing the fear that we felt while hiding. In the second part of the series, Petals (everything blooming), the trees are flowering representing the feeling of hope and a premonition of security like suffocatingly sweet petals covering one’s head. In the third part of the series, Cross (crosses and candles), the trees take on a cruciform shape and turn into crosses. The crosses represent that which is luminous, dissolving, flickering and darkening.